Tuesday, November 24, 2009

A Nip of Frost

We had our first frosty morning last week; not a killer, but enough to whiten rooftops and leave its unmistakable mark on the landscape. The Boston Ivy on the back fence seemed to transform to scarlet overnight.

The variegated English Ivy took on some pinkish tones...

The Pomegranate leaves began to turn gold...

Some of the Nandina leaves started to curl and condense their colors...

The Dodonea is about as purple as it's going to get...

And the tropical Manihots have left the building.

I am not a winter person, and this time of year tends to fill me with cold foreboding. Even a charming string of hearts isn't a consolation when I think of the bony stem that will soon be all that remains. As winters go, ours are nothing to complain about, but that does not make my primeval reaction to the shorter days any less real.

So I'm thankful for things like the sweet faces of late roses that remind me of high summer.

And for the Chinese Pistache in front of my house. As I write, the mid-afternoon sun is making it glow with every vibrant shade of red, russet, orange and gold that I can imagine. And I feel warm again.

13 comments:

Is it my imagination, or has the fall color in Northern California been particularly nice this autumn? Much as I love the colors of fall, like you I dread winter. It's not the cold, it's the grey. You'll have to keep posting these great photos to keep me cheerful and productive!

@Helen, let's see...the plant from the picture is a sibling to the plant your seeds came from, so this would be your Manihot auntie! Late November is about right for a light frost; temps may dip into the 20s for a few nights in Dec or Jan, or not! Happy Thanksgiving dear!

Laura, thanks for this lovely reminder that winter happens even in the warmer climates. We're all affected by the shorter days, even in beautiful northern California. Enjoy your winter, my friend... Teresa

If only you could preserve this ephemeral time of the year! I love the changes taking place in your garden!

As much as I dislike the dark, the cold and th ephysical discomforts that winter can bring, I'm ready for it, and so are many of my plants. Maybe it's just what I've planted in the garden--many of them take the summer off, waiting for the first rains and the cooling weather.

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Behind InterLeafings

Laura Livengood

Laura has had a lifelong love affair with plants and gardens and all the creatures in them. She lives in Ben Lomond, CA (zone 9) and works for Renee's Garden Seeds in Felton, CA and Cloud Castle Art Studio in Saratoga, CA.

She has a degree in Art History from UC Santa Barbara, and studied Graphic Design at UC Santa Cruz. She is also an alumni of the Horticulture and Design Program at Foothill College.

Laura worked in high-tech marketing communications and advertising for years, until she had a midlife awakening and decided to become a landscape designer. Her gardens have won many awards, including a gold medal at the 2005 SF Flower & Garden Show.